Most Discussed

NY agency warns Apple over iPhone battery

updated 09:30 am EDT, Tue July 31, 2007

by MacNN Staff

NY agency warns Apple

Reinforcing growing anti-Apple sentiment about its iPhone battery policies, one state agency is politely trying to get Apple's attention. New York's Consumer Protection Board issued a letter to Apple's CEO Monday asking for the iPhone to be a little more consumer-friendly. The gentle nudge to the hugely successful company follows a class-action lawsuit--filed last week--against the company over the iPhone battery. The state's consumer protection agency cited both replacement procedures and costs in its letter and also said that consumers should be able to replace the battery themselves. The agency also said that Apple should review its standard disclosure practices and restocking fees.

In the letter, CPB Chairperson and Executive Director Mindy A. Bockstein urges Apple to revamp its customer service policies to make it easier and more affordable for consumers to repair an iPhone.

The iPhone battery loses 20 percent or more of its capacity after 400 cycles, according to Apple's documentation and customers are forced to turn to Apple for replacement.

Apple's three-day battery replacement program allows owners with dead batteries to exchange the dead cells for a $79 service fee plus $6.95 shipping & handling. The service is designed for iPhone owners who only require service because the battery's ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished and will not replace the battery if the device shows signs of damage due to accident or abuse.

Customers can rent an iPhone, while their device is being serviced, but Apple's charges $29, which the New York agency believes is too much. In addition, they suggested that Apple drop the 10 percent restocking fee charged when someone returns an iPhone and reviews its practices that disclose its fine print.

"We ask that Apple review its practices in disclosing contract terms and conditions, warranties and return policies," said Bockstein. In Apple stores and online, these disclosures should be more prominent and conspicuously displayed.

Last month the the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights warned Apple as well as AT&T about charging iPhone owners for battery replacements, calling on the companies to provide consumers with free and immediate replacements at retail locations for the life of the iPhone.

TAGS

TOTAL_COMMENTS Comments

The iPhone is a wonderful product, but the battery policy seems misguided. Not only is it a genuine inconvenience to consumers of this extremely expensive gadget, but the replacement policy establishes it as quantifiably inferior to its rivals. Plus, it's never a good thing when the populous at large sinks their teeth into an easy-to-chew problem. I still hear that "iPods only last a year!"

Why don't they warn Microsoft about being unfriendly to consumers? There certainly is more evidence there. How about they sell Windows, Office, and Visual Studio for $3, like they do in China, after all it isn't even worth that much.

Okay, color me confused. Is it not the policy of everyone that if you've got a phone, any old phone, and the battery dies, you have to actually BUY a new one? Whats so special about an iPhone that we should be entitled to free lifetime battery service?

Granted, I think the battery replacement cost is too high, having to send it to Apple is massively inconvenient, the inability to replace it yourself is just plain stupid, etc etc. But I certainly wouldn't expect to just get a new battery for free forever. Last I checked, when you buy a car, they don't give you gas for the life of the car.

Apple is not responsible for the technology of how rechargeable lithium batteries function. The battery will still have 80% life after 400 CHARGE CYCLES (not charges). Apple, unlike a lot of other electronic companies, is being upfront BEFORE you buy the phone.

Don't like it? THEN DON'T BUY THE F**KING PHONE!!!!

I'm so tired of these frivolous, greedy, and asinine law suits. They just add more expense to the product, which in the end hurts the consumer.

The reason why it is so much buzz about the battery issue, is that this is a phone, not an iPod, although it has an iPod integrated. But an iPod is nothing you can't be without for a few days, but I cannot be without my mobile without risking to lose some jobs. And it is rather inconvenient to have to first go to the nearest Apple dealer which is quite some distance away form where I live in Norway, and then I will have to pay to rent a phone while I am waiting. Instead of just buying the battery and swap it myself, like you can do with every mobile phone in the market - except iPhone.
Yes, the battery will probably last longer than the time most will keep the phone, but still. This policy by Apple is unnecessary and annoys customers. So, if a replaceable battery would make the phone 2 millimetres thicker, who'd care? Make it user-friendly in all aspects, I'd say.

"Okay, color me confused. Is it not the policy of everyone that if you've got a phone, any old phone, and the battery dies, you have to actually BUY a new one? Whats so special about an iPhone that we should be entitled to free lifetime battery service? "

You answered your own question in the next paragraph. The issue isn't that the battery won't last forever; no reasonable person would expect that. The issue is that Apple requires its users to be without their phone for 3 days. That's just bad policy. An in-store battery replacement program would fix it.

Battery policy was made to look like a real problem, but it is not. What percent of all iPods sold had battery problems? How long do you expect to use iPhone? Answering these questions I came to the conclusion that this policy is the last thing I should worry about when using iPhone.

But of course, if you are going to use iPhone for 5 years or more, then battery policy may get you into a trouble of *gasp* replacing it.

"But an iPod is nothing you can't be without for a few days, but I cannot be without my mobile without risking to lose some jobs."

Are you kidding me?!!! You mean you can't even take a dump without missing a call?! Look what society has turned into - a sea of dorks dependent on gadgets. I bet you have a "bluetoof" earpiece stuck in your head 24/7 too (secretly thinking that you are a modern rendition of the Terminator, or in the least a latte-drinking cyborg sent back to "earf").

This is a classic example of being a victim of one's own success! There are plenty of devices such as shavers, electric toothbrushes and so forth that do not have a user replaceable rechargeable battery. Why is Apple being singled out? Harrumph!

but fails to address real problems. Why not wait for a problem to develop with iPhone batteries, rather than waste time on hype like this. NO ONE has yet had an iPhone battery need replacement. All this hype is based on the information that Apple has freely provided concerning the expected performance of the battery. Bockstein should work on the fact that NYC has a homeless problem because hotels charge too much! It would make about as much sense!

At least with the iPhone, If I take it to the Apple store to get the battery replaced I won't hear, "Oh we don't carry that battery anymore." That is what I've heard on all my other phones. So being able to swap the battery yourself doesn't mean you can get the battery.

Are you kidding me?!!! You mean you can't even take a dump without missing a call?!

Wow, I'm impressed. While you're dumps may take three days, he's not talking about taking a five minute break. He's talking about not having his phone, which is his connection to his job, for three days.

Why not wait for a problem to develop with iPhone batteries, rather than waste time on hype like this. NO ONE has yet had an iPhone battery need replacement.

Because once the real problems happen, the consumer is already screwed. I guess you're in the "let's see if the food makes people ill before we pull it from the shelves" or the "let's wait until cars start exploding before we fix the gas tank!" crowd.

All this hype is based on the information that Apple has freely provided concerning the expected performance of the battery.

And look at all the trouble apple could have saved itself if it just designed a replacable battery! But Apple doesn't care about the consumer, lawsuits, trouble, or whatever, for all that is important to them is the style and look of the device. Have the battery snap in would cause ungainly lines on the device, and probably make it a tad thicker. Heaven forbid, we can't have that!

I wonder if all you "What are they complaining about" people would say if Apple's new MBP came out with a built-in battery that wasn't replacable? Since it was apple, I'm sure everyone would love it, the best design decision ever made, because who needs to swap batteries or anything. They last a lifetime!

Aside from that, yes, Apple charges $69 to replace the battery, but they also charge $69 for a AppleCare for the phone, which includes battery replacement, should the battery fail. That's $10 less than the replacement service, and it extends the warranty by an extra year.

How dare Apple charge $30 for renting an iPhone to the consumer, and charge for that convenience. If you don't like it, use a different phone for the three days - $30 is not a deal breaker, IMO.

I find it amazing how many people are critical of the non-user-serviceable battery - yet when I ask any such critical person, who boast that their phone has a replaceable battery, "How often have you replaced your battery in your Nokia/Motorola/Palm?", they invariably reply "Never, why?"

Unfortunately, the world includes for too many idiots (see recent class-action lawsuit).

the folks that see the probability that they will be without their phone and/or will have to rent one while their battery is being replaced.

I don't personally see this as a high priority right now, but it is good that some people are being proactive on resolving an issue that iPhone users WILL be impacted by in the future.

On the other hand, it is extremely likely that folks will be able to plan the replacements around particular dates ahead of time since the batteries will likely not just stop working all of a sudden. Sounds like a perfect excuse for a vacation, to me. ;)

Boy do I ever feel better now that a consumer agency is protecting me from big mean Apple. After all, everyone knows that Apple kidnapped all of these poor little victims and forced them to buy those evil iPhones. All of the images of people camping outside and waiting in line for hours was just a big media ploy. In fact there were Apple employees with machine guns and dark sunglasses forcing these poor little victims to be there against their own free will.

I own an iPhone, and I think it is great. I am not a big fan of the battery replacement policy. Most people do not realize that a non-replaceable battery gets you a sturdier device and a slightly smaller overall size (although I am sure this was only a small part of the reasoning).

The price of the battery is not a real issue. $79 is only about $10 more than other MFG batteries, and the life I get on my phone is about 2.5x my wife's blackjack.

I am NOT HAPPY about the rental phone. That is the real issue. One can go 3 days without an iPod. NO OTHER PHONE has this draconian policy of having you use another phone. Fortunately, I have a spare phone (not an iPhone) so I am curious to see how it will be for a couple of days to switch the number via ATT.

BTW, the statement about many devices having non replaceable batteries is just silly. Shavers etc. are less expensive and are in a different market. iPhone is the ONLY phone with a non-user replaceable battery.

"BTW, the statement about many devices having non replaceable batteries is just silly. Shavers etc. are less expensive and are in a different market. iPhone is the ONLY phone with a non-user replaceable battery."

Careful with the all or none statements. My Treo 600 had a non-replaceable battery and I'm sure there are more in recent cell phone history.

For all those saying that having a non-replaceable battery is poor design, get over yourselves. Pretty arrogant to think you know what it takes to design and iPhone. Could they have made a replaceable battery at the expense of size and durability? I'm sure, but then you'd start complaining about how bulky it is and how easily it breaks.

Also for the genius who compares this to a MBP. There is no recent precedent for a professional laptop with non-serviceable battery. And believe you, me. If my MBP didn't have a battery I could replace I WOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT IT and I certainly wouldn't enter a class action suit against Apple, because I wasn't happy with the design.

Your comments are idiotic. Unless it takes three days for you to take a dump, that is. If you read the article, you'll note that it takes 3 days for the iPhone battery to be replaced, and it costs $79. If I could just buy the battery for that price and put it in myself, I would not be without a phone/iPod/internet device for three days.

Some of us expect calls at least once a day, and don't have land lines or alternative phones to rely on. Some of us have clients that may call at odd times, without notice. Some of us are waiting on admissions offers from schools or graduate programs so that we can make decisions on offers already in hand. There are a million reasons why being "forced" out of touch by a phone battery for three days might be unacceptable. You proclaim yourself as a technologically independent luddite who takes a while to go to the bathroom, fine. However, that gives neither the right nor the insight to understand why others might be hugely inconvenienced by being separated from their phone for three days.

An in-store replacement policy alone would go a long way toward making the battery replacement ordeal more palatable.

testudo, once again your sad attempt at sarcasm has exposed your inability to think outside of your tiny little box (ok, once in a while you have a legitimate point, but they are few and far between). I think the millions, and millions (and millions) of iPods sold very clearly establish that it's not just Apple that cares about the style, look, and size of the device. In fact, the very consumers you like to think you represent have voted time and time again with their wallets that they, too, care about things things over and above any perceived drawbacks of a non-replacable battery.

"And look at all the trouble apple could have saved itself if it just designed a replacable battery! But Apple doesn't care about the consumer ... all that is important to them is the style and look of the device. Have the battery snap in would cause ungainly lines on the device, and probably make it a tad thicker. Heaven forbid, we can't have that!"

As for arguments that every other cell phone has a user replaceable battery, I believe one other poster already proved that wrong by citing another example. But let's look at that argument from a broader perspective. It is generally agreed that overall the iPhone is unlike any other cell phone. The services it has, how you interact with it, etc, etc. Why on Earth would Apple be expected to follow the replaceable battery convention when at the same time we applaud them for breaking so many other conventions in designing the iPhone. Think of the old saying, "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." What should redesigning the battery be off limits when nothing else was?

I demand Ford replace the battery in my vehicle for it's life too; I rely on it everyday and couldn't function without it. Unbelievable nonsense. Louis

Great example, except you can replace your car battery by yourself, you don't have to take it to the nearest Ford dealer, have them send it off to Detroit to have the battery replaced, and hope to get it back in three days.

louzer/testudo, nobody is fooled, please pick one and stick with it already. or at least attempt to change up your posts a bit so they at least look and read just a tad differently. as is it just makes you look ridiculous.

Get yourself certified to work on your own stuff...that is what I did, Its amazing how convenient it is to work on all your own computers. Just like people work on their own cars, just like people do their own construction, just like people do their own plumbing. If you don't want to bother to learn to do it yourself, then don't complain when you have to pay someone else to do it.

I know, Apple made it so you can't change the battery yourself. There are reasons, If that battery were user replaceable, you would be sacrificing awesome quality, you'd have more plastic parts, then you'd get dirt and c*** in there.

"but I'll void my warranty if I do it myself."
Trust me, by the time you need to replace it, your warranty will have expired.

To many, the money will be worth it.

Login Here

Now AAPL Stock: 113.95 ( + 1.83 )

Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj

Share

Developer163d

Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket

The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]

Share

163d

Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera

Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94

Share

Industry163d

Apple employees testing wheelchair features

New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa

Share

Troubleshooting163d

SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards

SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If

Share

Upgrades/storage163d

Apple's third-quarter results due July 26

Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm

Share

Investor164d

Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users

Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE